Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-04-24
APIKE'S PEAK WINTER
THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF SIGNAL SER
VICE OBSERVERS
Dangerous Months Passed Amid the Draary Wastes
of Ice and SnOw-Cut OF From the
Outside World -- Lively
Adventures.

james H. SuiUb IN lyHt 8 COMPANION.
When the United States Signal Service
which most people call the weather bureau,
although there is no warrant for so doing
was iirst established in November, 1870,
it was a very small affair, and even so late
rs 1878 ii had not grown TO very large pro-
portions In the summer OF that year il
was determined to establish stations on the
SUBMITS OF one or more of the peaks OF the
Rocky Mountains, and Pixies Peak was
selected for the initial site.
The first step was to look at the ground,
and in July two observers of the signal
service were sent from Washington to Colo
RADIO Springs Mr.. George BOshmer, now
OF the Smithsonian Institute, was one, and
was the other
The daily routine of observation in the
signal service at that time included seven
observations of the Instruments three
taken IN Washington time, 7:35 4. m, :35
p. m, and II D. H.; three at 7 Il. M, Up. III.
and p. m, local time, and one at II m,
Washington time. On account of the diff
ference of time between Washington and
Pixies Peak, the first observation had To
be taken at about $40 a. m, and the last
at 900 p. III. In addition to the Observa
tons, there was, of course, the usual
amount t office work, but not more than
enough to keep one man steadily en-
ploved.
The telegraph line was, however, our
greatest trouble.
This line extended from Colorado Springs
to the summit, and followed the trail TO
timber line, and then made n bee line for
the peak. This line, erected by private
contract, was of thin and Inferior wire,
and very poorly constructed. Trees were
used for supports for the greatest part of
the route, and they were continually fall
ing down. Above timber line, the wire,
being exposed to the air, would become
encrusted with frost until it was fully six
inches in diameter
When the wind blew strongly, which
was nearly an everyday occurrence, the
wire would sway backward and forward
until it snapped. The only way to Obvi-
ate these breaks was to thoroughly insu-
late the wire and lay 1T on the grouLd.
out and repair it, and the task generally
fell to me. 1t was not only disagreeable,
but dangerous. The most diSagreeable
portion of our work was, of course, the
monotony owords can describe the lone
illness OF such life; with the exception of
our ourselves, there was not living thing
in sight OF plant lite, even in summer
there was none. not shrub or a speck of
moss, and in the winter when the entire
mountain range was covered with snow,
the scene was deSOlatiOn itself
We were so entirely cut off from the
outer world that we could not help, at
times, being oppressed with gloomy fore
boding. What would happen for instance,
what would he our fate, if the roof should
he blown off in a terrible snow and wind
storm, particularly at night.
Winter set in with the utmost rigor
about the first of November, although even
the summer of the peak would have been
called winter in other localities Snow
storms were of almost daily occurrence and
the temperature fell steadily. By the tenth
of November the thermometer touched zero,
and from that time it was intensely cold
The wind began to blow with great velocity
fifty, sixty and seventy miles an hour.
The cold and the snow were not so much
to he dreaded had it not been for the wind.
When it was calm and clear, no matter
how cold, we thought nothing of taking a
stroll in our shirt sleeves; but when the
wind blew we could not put on enough
wraps to keep out the cold.
Christmas week was very stormy, but
We managed to celebrate the holidays by
gorging ourselves rather more than usual
On New Years day there set in storm of
seven days duration, and on the sixth day
the telegraph line broke somewhere
where we had no means Of judging. After